


I Can't Let Go(For I Lose Control)

by azerblazer



Series: Forged of Ice and Iron [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Thor (2011)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bromance, Friendship/Love, Gen, Introducing the god to pop culture, Iron Man 2, Loki and Tony becoming couch potatoes, Loki becoming a book nerd, Loki worrying, M/M, Palladium Poisoning, Pepper thinking of ways to kill Loki and Tony without ruining her manicure, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-06
Updated: 2012-09-11
Packaged: 2017-11-13 17:13:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/505840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/azerblazer/pseuds/azerblazer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Looking into Fury's eye he let his control over his form slip the slightest bit.<br/>"Because," His breath came out in a cold cloud of ice, his eyes changed to red,"If Anthony Stark does not survive this, then the whole of Midgard shall pay the price."</p><p>Or</p><p>Loki immerses himself in Midgard culture, Tony manages to semi successfully lie to the God of Lies and there's that annoying friendship that seems to grow when neither of them are looking.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been reading all the comments to the previous one and walked around with a ridiculous smile on my face. You, my darling readers, are wholly to blame.
> 
> Please excuse any mistakes I may have missed, thank you.
> 
> -  
> I've made a tumblr to just dump snippets, bits and bobs relating to my stories  
> [Follow if you wish.](http://azerficupdates.tumblr.com/)

Pepper was deeply grateful for Loki's presence. He actually made Tony a bit more human sometimes, imperiously demanding food and dragging Tony up for it whether he was working on something or not. Tony started setting up silent alarms for meal times, and to prepare because Loki dragged him away regardless of what he was working on, sometimes leading to horrifically amazing explosions and in one memorable occasion a robot car developing a bizarre taste for Sprite.

Neither of them can really explain that, past the peals of laughter and guffaws of watching a little limited AI toy car with a swinging hammer on its hood honest to god _purr_ when a stack of Sprite bottles were set before it.

Tony had made the engine run on a mix of soda and gas and even built a mini gasoline station in the corner for it. Loki named it Thor. Pepper honestly didn't want to know.

But there were other times she wanted to strangle both of them with her bare hands. Loki could probably take it.

Times like this morning, where Tony had been suspiciously well behaved in a shareholders meeting only interrupting everything to text once. It was about to end when the door opened and _Tony_ walked in.

He'd looked blandly surprised, and turned right back around and walked out.

She still didn't know who was who.

But she still covered them with blankets when they managed to sleep, Loki seeming perpetually cold sometimes. She went and bought a variety of tea and a veritable mountain of hot cocoa powder and coffee for both of them.

Loki purchased a tea kettle, wrinkling his nose at the suggestion of heating up water in the microwave. It was a horrifyingly fascinating thing done in pea green and a little whistle that rattled when it started spewing out steam. It was ugly, but Loki seemed very fond of it so Pepper didn't fling it out the window at the first opportunity.

To be fair, he had been watching a documentary that talked about radiation and cancer. He'd given the appliance shifty looks ever since then. All in all he seemed like another Tony, albeit one who summoned strange bolts to incinerate the egg timer when it had gone off.

Actually, that sounded exactly like Tony.

-

There was a week that Tony had taken off and tutored Loki in technology and the Internet mainly. And had given him a shiny black plastic card, already his name embossed in silver letters, and shown him how to order things. And while in Asgard he was a prince - _was_ and then _everything_ seemed to happen- but here in Midgard Loki had not a coin to his name.

Tony made a complicated face and just handed him the card, and explained the monetary system and then gave him a million dollars to start off with.

Within the hour he was deeply immersed in a promotional copy of some book, and then buying the whole set.

He'd read various literature from other races, as his own Asgard focused mainly on how the strongest fighter always managed to beat everything with his muscles and weapons. It was...not to his taste, to put it mildly.

But humans. _Oh_.

They poured everything into words, from subjects that varied often he felt as if he identified with the characters so strongly sometimes, even though he knew they came from some mortal's imagination.

But then again, he was a God of Lies; and it would make some sort of sense he prefer fiction above all.

Even if Bilbo Baggins' quest didn't feel like lies; or Alex and his droogs made him endlessly curious about the world he immersed himself in. He wouldn't touch milk for a while after Burgess' novella. Tony didn't let him read any more dystopian fiction until Loki assured him he wouldn't take everything seriously.

But these mortals were practically ants under his boots, and yet they weaved such convincing lies with truths they were practically unable to be pulled apart. He knew how flight felt, and how changing your shape could feel; and authors seemed to know as well, without any speck of magic in them.

Loki was fascinated.

So now there were crates of books and movies being carted in daily, and it seems all he did anymore was lounge around Tony's workshop and read. From the familiar and unfamiliar fantasy of Tolkien's worlds to the interesting and annoying works like "To Kill a Mockingbird". He scowled fiercely and added sugar to his hot chocolate until even Tony could smell the sweetness from across the table.

He had to buy another five copies in order to actually get through the whole book, seeing as he kept setting it on fire. Accidentally.

Granted, he'd viciously ripped apart the pages before setting it alight with some matches. But no one except Jarvis would ever know.

"You know," Tony meandered over, "You don't have to keep reading it if you don't want to."

Gritting his teeth Loki snapped out, "I have to."

He had to know what to do when faced against such horrible prejudice against someone of different skin color. Obviously his own methods weren't working seeing as how everything went to hell when he was told of his Jotun heritage.

Besides, this was the fifth copy and he'd have to wait a whole night before the newer batch arrived. He was burning with curiosity as to the outcome of the court case.

Tony let it lie and merely warned him not to set anything else on fire. Loki ignored him because Tony was a hypocrite of the highest degree, warning Loki off of setting fires purposefully like he didn't make elaborate constructs of metal and wires for that exact purpose himself.

-

It took a bit of wheedling, but eventually Loki got Tony to explode the book in the backyard after he finished it.

He still refused to talk about it, but Tony looked up the plot on Wikipedia and merely patted his head. He was heard complaining about how no one had said the book was to be a _tragedy_ for days.

-

As the tide of books seemed to be slowing down, Loki lessened his needling of Tony more and more until all Loki had to do was crack open a book and Tony was there besides him, sometimes writing out equation after equation. They very rarely went five feet away from each other. He seemed to have a little pet project concerning the human element table.

He got that _accursed_ song in his head.

And Pepper seemed to feel some sort of sadistic pleasure in hearing him absentmindedly hum and mumble to himself.

"There's antimony, arsenic, aluminum, selenium..."

Tony always sang along and seemed dually frustrated and overjoyed Loki was willingly partaking in the "superior study of SCIENCE."

He also showed Loki his complete collection of a show titled "Bill Nye the Science Guy"; apparently he was one of the teachers of basic Science. Loki followed along pretty well so he could not completely trip up when Tony did his week long marathon of "Mythbusters".

Pepper informed them that they were successfully mutating into couch potatoes.

Loki had not seen his skin transform into the meat of a small, brown vegetable; but he didn't really see much outside of the television these days anyway so what did he know?

"Can a potato know it's a potato?" He asked out of the blue one day, and Tony mumbled something portals and apertures and science?

He truly worried about his human's sanity sometimes.

-

Tony gets a new secretary.

Loki merely walks into the room and practically tastes all the lies emanating from this "Natalie" and sits only to stare placidly at her.

Hours later even Tony begins to notice and raises a questioning eyebrow, to which Loki finally speaks to Natalie, going on a strong hunch.

"So how is Director Fury?"

She's fired on the spot.

-

Pepper had kicked them out of their house. She used her shiny new powers of CEO to do this; Loki didn't know what that WAS, but Tony made it a point to educate him so he set it on a list to look up later.

Of course they could have teleported back in, they were only halfway through the entirety of Doctor Who, but it was the principal of the thing. And between Loki and Tony, both seemed to have enough pride that it continually surprised them while working on a project that they didn't seem to self implode from the sheer ego each of them generated.

Another project to be further studied he supposed.

A brilliant idea seemed to pop up, "Loki, I have a _need_!"

"Out of luck, we were just kicked out."

"No you crazy god! The need for **speed**." Tony grinned maniacally.

-

Racing in Monaco seemed like great fun. Loki doesn't regret sitting it out, sniffing disdainfully at the thought of going at dangerously high speed around in a circle, while trapped in a ready made coffin of metal and rubber.

He nevertheless hijacks a car and a couple of seconds later crashes it into the crazy bastard that showed up to slice everything to ribbons. One transforming briefcase that has been altered into being lightweight by a few merging of spells and tech, and that fiasco is averted. Tony goes to see the crazy bastard, Vanko, in prison. He comes back shaken and Loki is getting a sinking feeling between his ribs.

-

He ambushes Tony in the shower, unmindful of the mortal's feeble protests for his virtue.

Although he does know when he's cornered and doesn't even try to cover up the sickly black web of veins crawling from his arc reactor. Loki is frozen there, hair plastered against his forehead by the steamy water that Jarvis quietly shuts off after a while. He can't seem to find his voice.

"I've contacted the leading astrophysicist. She's search for what sounds like this Bifrost bridge you've told me about." Tony starts, apropos of nothing. "I've given her a starting fund, and she agreed to take you along as a favor."

"Where- No." Loki shook himself and stared imperiously down his nose at the foolish mortal who has been doing idiotic things without consulting Loki. He should look into pet training. "No."

"Excuse me?"

"No. This is not happening." Loki gripped his shoulders and kept Tony's gaze harshly, spitting out every syllable to make sure he understood. "You are not going to be sending me away."

Small gestures and other actions suddenly bridged out in his mind. Pepper being given the company, Tony's near frantic work with elements, the both of them were barely feet from each other at all times.

He was planning for this.

He knew.

Picking him up by the shoulders he ignored the protests and slammed him up against the tiles, snarling. "You weren't going to tell us." It wasn't a question and a small part of him recoiled at the bruises he was making on Tony's skin.

The rest felt like murdering something.

Tony merely bowed his head against Loki's, eyes closed, dark rings around them like a bruise. Loki distantly noticed his hands were shaking. He couldn't feel it.

Everything felt cold, and he had a chunk of ice in his throat because even swallowing sent stinging pain through him. His face felt hot and tight and he slowly let the mortal go. Tony threw his arms around them and they sunk to the ground; foreheads pressed together.

It should have been ridiculous, because Tony was naked and wet, and Loki had his damp clothing sticking to him uncomfortably.

But he saw the black marring on tan skin and all he could think of was that it looked kind of like Tony had slept against his books and gotten ink all over his chest.

He sobbed.

Dry eyed but coughing wetly, tears stuck in his throat, he shook and trembled against Tony who merely held him tight and whispered things like "palladium poisoning" and "life expectancy" and ran useless numbers by him and percentages that made Loki want to _break-_

-

They huddled together on the sofa, dry and clinging, and called up random movies to see what would catch their interest.

A pair of pajamas that look like a tux for him, Tony's present for him for his birthday -or at least what he now declared as his birth date- and sweats with long sleeve shirt for Tony. They call up room service for what Jarvis describes as comfort food. Sweet, buttery and very unhealthy delicious food is delivered. Tony drinks a disgusting concoction that is to help slow down the poisoning.

They eat ice cream as they watch sappy and nerdy movies that none of them will admit to even knowing. Dark curtains shut out the world and Tony makes a half strangled laughing cough when pieces of shrapnel embed themselves in the love interest.

Loki finally feels small tears come up when the horrible doctor dons a new coat and becomes fully evil; he isn't looking at the screen and scrapes the bottom of his ice cream bucket with great concentration.

Neither of them say anything and merely go on to the next movie.

-

Every time he looks at Tony he mentally traces the black patterns, even through layers of clothes. He leaves now, beginning with another room and then outside the house completely. Sometimes he's even gone for two days.

It hurts, something tender and broken in his chest because here, his mortal is dying. And Loki is...

Useless. Without his much of his magic. He can't stand to look at Tony's brightly burning crash; not until all options are gone to him.

He's been tracing rips in the world, short cuts that he can take without having to expend much of his magic.

They all seem to be sealed off to him. He almost kills a village that stands over what used to be a forever opened gate to Hel.

It refuses to let him pass and he is about to just blow it all to kingdom come, when he receives a text message. _"Pepper's mad at me."_

_"Did you deserve it this time?"_

_"...maybe?"_

Loki teleports home early and joins Tony in the garage, ranting on and on about the idiocy of mankind and how every single portal has been giving him trouble. Tony should just go home with him and eat these delightful little apples that seem to be made of edible gold.

Tony hums noncommittal replies and cards his hand -stained, greasy- through Loki's hair until the pizza man rings the doorbell, something of his old self peeking through even as he retries more and more elemental combinations.

Loki arrives earlier after that; wondering if he has become too much like these mortals. He wants to spare himself the pain but also hates seeing the loneliness in Tony.

He texts, constantly and sometimes just calls to listen to the other breathe and work and claw his way out of another cave with a timer on his heart.

-

He followed other villains, other heroes; stalked about their labs, and barely survived the fights that eventually ensued when he was discovered. The world didn't know him as Iron Man's partner, and he made sure to wear a different face each time. It helped that his weapons, now up another staff and a sword, were a strange mix of technology that Tony never revealed to the public and the enchantments he wove into it.

Sometimes he wiped himself out, searching for portals or a hint of any rips in the realms. He sent weak flares of magic for the AllFather, Thor or Heimdall to find and send help. Exhausted his barely recovering magical reserves in fits of teleportation, leaving only enough magic to port back home to spend his nights alongside Tony. Blinded with rage and bitter grief he screamed for anyone to hear until his throat bled.

After a spectacular bout the left over scraps of magic were used to keep his insides within him. He took a bus back home, limping and cradling his now only bruised ribs. The shaking hands that Tony used to wrap the bandages made him swear to be more careful.

But time seemed to run faster, and he was a _god_ , he had the rest of his ridiculously long life to nurse a couple of scrapes. Tony only had weeks it seemed like, and Loki merely grit his teeth against the countdown that pressed against the both of them in slow creeping moments until all they were aware of was Tony's life slipping out minute by minute.

-

"I'm going to have my birthday party." Tony said apropos of nothing one day; they had taken to lounging together, Loki keeping his face to Tony's chest, alternating his temperature to make Tony chuckle hoarsely and to see if he could freeze the poison in its place.

He hadn't turned on his illusion with Tony in weeks; anything to have him distracted tracing the whorls on his freakish blue skin than to dwell on the timer in his chest.

"Hm." A sigh and Loki squeezed the mortal in his arms; hiding his face in the ratty shirt. "I haven't gotten you anything." He mumbled, ignoring how it became painful to swallow, and a sharp burning arose in his eyes.

Tony seemed to be wracked with cough, but he was smiling so Loki tentatively labeled it laughter. A small, wobbly smile filled his face; it crinkled in his eyes and made his eyebrows furrow. He leaned down and pressed a fierce kiss to Loki's forehead, ignoring the frost that settled on his lips.

Nothing more was said about that.

-

In the morning Loki kisses a still sleeping Tony's brow, murmuring a simple spell that will have minor pranks going off throughout the house. And dresses up before teleporting to the office of a certain one eyed man.

Nick Fury was an unknown, and Loki sensed familiar meddling; there was nothing else for it. This lead had to go somewhere or Tony would be sad.

Because Tony would be dead and then Loki would be forced to decimate everyone in the nine realms; and pointless slaughter would make Tony sad. So. Something to be avoided.

"Visiting hours are over." Fury didn't move from his desk, and Loki continued his scrutiny, sprawling comfortably on the chair in front of the desk. He ignored the rapid entrance of Natasha Romanoff and Phil Coulson, guns at the ready.

"You knew my name. And I could have sworn we'd never met before." Loki stated, not bothering to look for tells, this mortal was too clever for that. Not as clever as his Tony, but not a lot of beings were.

Loki never claimed to be impartial anyway.

"How is Stark nowadays? Media's been hounding him down these past few weeks, seems to be on a downward spiral towards something. Know anything about that?"

The room grew colder.

"A couple months ago, around the time Stark was kidnapped; I received a very interesting visit. It came from someone calling himself the Allfather. Warning me that a Jotun who'd taken the form of his youngest Loki from his realm was in my territory." Loki's heartbeat quickened, questions welling up and mixing in with the haze of confusion.

"That's-" Loki couldn't spit the words out. The only straight forward way a message like that could be delivered was in person. But that was impossible. It was because he'd been looking into ways and he'd ultimately failed in those ventures. All exits were sealed and the only one left really, was...

"That's impossible." He found his voice, tensing his posture, "The Bifrost was destroyed by Thor."

Fury leaned back, sensing he had the upper hand now, the shark. "Really? That's your rainbow bridge isn't it? Seemed to be working pretty fine from what I saw."

They couldn't have rebuilt it that fast, if what Fury says is true; and yet Odin had seen him here, and had come here himself.

And yet he'd never made contact with Loki.

He could have tracked him down, and released him from that accursed cave, brought back both Tony and Yinsen alive and well in a heartbeat.

But he didn't.

Gritting his teeth, he felt a pit of dread beginning to coil in his stomach and his old anger rise at his father. Always inscrutable and unwilling to let others into his plans and machinations.

_"No, Loki."_

"That," Loki grit out,"Is besides the point. Tony is dying, palladium poisoning."

And oh, that _stung_. How was he suppose to rule anything, if _both_ mortals he had sworn himself to protect died? One in that wretched cave and the other from his own heart?

"And what am I suppose to do about that?" Fury calmly asked, pointedly glancing over at Natasha. "We would have known sooner without your interference. What's stopping me from just letting Stark die and then using his tech? At this rate it won't take longer than a week."

Loki's face seemed to twitch before smoothing out into something unpleasant and smiling. Although he practically tasted the lie, there was a sticking point he needed to make. He leaned over Fury's desk, mindful of the way Phil and Natasha readied their stances. Looking into Fury's eye he let his control over his form slip the slightest bit.

"Because," His breath came out in a cold cloud of ice, his eyes changed to red,"If Anthony Stark does not survive this, then the whole of Midgard shall pay the price."

There was a thick silence that fell throughout the room, and even the other agents were beginning to look vaguely unsettled, the place where his hands touched the desk had a layer of frost spreading outwards and everyone's breath hung in a white cloud in front of their face.

"Heimdall." A feeling of effusive glee was hidden in Fury's tone. "Open the Bifrost."

Thrown off guard, Loki had only the chance to utter a startled, "What-" Before he's snatched away to Asgard. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki finds himself in Asgard; where Odin's true motives are revealed. Along with some wibbly wobbly timey wimey truths.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just one long 'Exhibit A' on how much of a sap I am. Plus, all those nice reviews and kudos makes me want keep all of you Darlings.  
> I hope it lives up to your expectations.
> 
> I'm really getting woozy without sleep so I bid you all goodnight, I'll begin to reply to comments tomorrow; please forgive any mistakes I may have missed.
> 
> Any warping/buggering up of Marvel Universe can be attributed to author interpretation.  
> I am using this awesome movie timeline:
> 
> [All Avenger Movie Timelines](http://bitcast-a-sm.bitgravity.com/slashfilm/wp/wp-content/images/marvel-timeline-full.jpg)
> 
> Thank you.  
> -Azer

 

He landed in the familiar, now repaired, golden room. Upon the raised dais Heimdall had removed his sword and closed the bridge, eying him warily and with his sword at the ready.

Before him stood the Allfather.

Loki didn't truly process anything until he lunged at Odin, snarling like a wild and feral thing; uncomfortably aware of the vast distance he was away from Midgard and Tony-

Oh god, _Tony_.

"Put me back!" He snarled, unflinching even as his father's spear, Gungnir slashed the air and connected with his ribs.

"Send me back right now you horrible bastard!"

A terrible rage settled on his father's face and he shivered despite himself. Only against Laufey had such emotion crossed his father's face.

Even as he fell through the void, did Odin still hold such hatred for him?

"Release your form, whelp." Odin spat and Loki was caught unsure, near powerless and a small childish part of him hurt at the harsh words. Any pleas felt heavy and they blocked his throat.

"Well? I'll not have you disgrace the name of Odinson for a moment longer, die with your true face."

Loki grit his teeth, ignoring tears that had sprung up and instead grasping the blind hate in him that caused him to grin madly at the Allfather -prompting the two Asgardians to start forward- before biting out a sharp, "If you wish, father."

Tears dripped down his face froze as his skin turned blue and he overrode the effects of warm temperatures against his Jotun form. The monstrous form that Tony had spent hours prodding and poking and writing on with a white marker.

Who honestly even produces white- a sharp clang interrupts his, admittedly erratic thought process.

 _"Loki?"_ Odin had dropped his spear, and Loki recalled the weapon's training- _never drop your weapon_ \- and he holds his chin up proudly.

"You've lost use of your other eye as well Allfather? Shame."

Striding forward haltingly, Odin raises one hand up to gently touch the defining markings on his face, Loki tenses but keeps his stance loose and ready- sensing an opportunity. No one says anything, even if Heimdall is looking questioningly between them, he is loyal and will say nothing though.

"Surprised to see me alive father? Falling into the abyss wasn't enough to kill me, unfortunately."

"I'm surprised..." Odin starts, voice hoarse and shaking hand now cupping his cheek, ignoring the slowly spreading frostbite, "Because my son Loki is currently gallivanting with Thor in the training grounds."

-

There were false starts, and at one point, Heimdall was politely booted out amidst Loki throwing the biggest tantrum since he'd tried to kill his brother.

Heimdall had only barely seen a glimpse of the storm and portal that brought him to Midgard. While delirious from magical draining and insomnia in a cave, he showed Tony and Yinsen his form and apparently tried to make ice cubes for their drinks.

At that point all Odin knew was of a Jotun-like being bearing the shape of his own son on Midgard; he'd alerted the only authorities that seemed equipped to handle it, and Fury received him with due caution. They issued a warning and the words to say to garner Heimdall's attention in the case of the impostor becoming hostile.

Loki was informed that Thor's coronation was tomorrow.

He sat there, on the steps and stared at the Allfather with a horrible suspicion beginning to grow in his mind.

"Father," He began,"Do you know what would happen if the Bifrost was destroyed and someone was sucked into it?"

Odin looked at him intently before sitting down besides him, settling in for the long story brewing in the green gaze.

"Why don't you tell me, my son?"

-

So Loki told him.

A small part of him hated that he felt like everything would be okay again because his father, destroyer of Jotuns and wise king of Asgard, was here again.

But he'd also seen his father collapse; _will_ see him collapse in a few days from now.

He spared nothing, from the treatment at the hands of his captors, to how Tony had stood up for him and Yinsen, to leaving behind a loyal and brave companion as the remaining two fled through the vast and dry desert. How Tony traced his blue markings absentmindedly and asked him to ice his drinks, once tried to write 'Property of Tony Stark' on his back in marker.

The sensation of being pulled and ripped apart again and again; only to be burned back together, twisted and lumpy and horrifically whole once more, save for his magic that took months to scab over and begin to heal slowly.

He never realized he began crying once more until Odin held him like he had when he was but a small child, and would try to hide under his father's cape along with Thor.

-

"Time travel." The word tasted strange on his tongue. It wasn't impossible. It was a shame he'd have to go through such a scarring experience for it; everything would have gone less painful if he'd have a handy blue box instead.

He'd been put up in a guest room for the night; warded against anyone's eyesight. Only Odin knew where he'd be, and only because he'd walked in with him. An awkward good night and Loki lay in the familiar bed, in a room that had too much gold and less silver and voices from the ceiling always ready with a sarcastic quip and _science_ and-

Tony.

It didn't have enough Tony.

-

Loki recalled the coronation, his father had looked like he was about to just burst out in proud tears.

He also remembered how Odin's face had crumpled at the news of how Thor and Loki had both gone astray and ended up fighting bitterly, at least on Loki's side. This Odin still didn't know better, Thor was a great warrior, but he had none of the compassion his jaunt into Midgard had given him. Odin would still look like he'd burst into tears, just not proud ones anymore.

Thor would go to war, ready to slaughter the monsters.

Loki had seen blurring, had seen Tony captured almost killed because he was someone's monster.

It isn't so clear cut; and it isn't enough to wish for peace and be done with it.

A wise king indeed. Odin's speech seemed ironic now that he knew what was about to befall his firstborn, a father's trust shaken in his heir. It hurt Loki, where before he would have reveled in it, Thor had protected his humans admirably, much like Loki had been failing to do.

Thor deserved it, he just needed to find that compassion that let him be a worthy wielder of Mjolnir once more.

Even just being back home seemed to kick start his magical reserves, already he had more than the pittance he'd become used to back on Midgard. Inhaling deeply he strode towards the guards, who bowed and didn't even notice anything amiss until they'd fallen asleep.

Exact replicas of the guards flanked him, opening the door to the weapons vault even as he made himself invisible.

Nearing the Casket of Ancient Winters, he felt the ice crystals spreading over everything. Grinning he let his illusions fall, and waited until the three Jotuns were almost upon the Casket.

"Good day." He demurred and struck viciously as they whirled to meet him.

—

As Odin strolled in with a younger pair of brothers, Loki fluxed his magic, and it seemed like the Destroyer had melded back into the wall. He stayed, invisibility wrapped as tightly as possible around himself, a strain beginning to show in his reserves even as his proximity to the Casket gave him a boost.

Odin seemed surprised, scrutinizing the Casket as if he would be able to tell if Loki had replaced it with an illusion. He could have.

He could have taken it while the ceremony reigned, sold it to another for an artifact that gave him back his power and more. But, he did not want to.

Smirking at Odin, even though he couldn't see him, Loki felt pride. In himself, in his restraint that didn't even ponder the treacherous thought for more than a minute.

More importantly, he knew Tony would be proud of him if he knew.

"What action would you take?"

Loki closed his eyes as the brash young Thor proceeded to utterly decimate whatever hope Odin had that Loki was lying.

The Thor that had loved that Foster woman would not have proposed to break his enemy's spirits, would not start a massacre for a mere three rebels. Odin had hoped that his heir could see that. The Allfather was calm though, while Thor became more and more agitated while Odin shot down all his complaints with logical and wise responses.

Until Thor pushed too far, and Odin snapped and reigned Thor back in. "But you're NOT king."

Loki didn't realize when Odin stepped out, looking only at Thor's drawn face. He teleported out, following Odin without a second backward glance, he had no wish the younger him and Thor interacting.

-

It was strange, Loki decided, trying to convince Odin that Thor was fit to be king.

There were veritable mountains of irony in this, if Loki cared to look. He didn't.

The Allfather paced back and forth, nodding when he told of the guard's illusions and eying Loki speculatively.

"My heir." Odin shook his head, and sighed wearily; already, Loki could see signs of the approaching Odinsleep.

"He'll just need to grow into it, do not fret father." Loki reassured, perched on the steps, watching Odin pace back and forth. He recalls what he witnessed from the Destroyer.

"Utterly powerless, he stayed behind and helped cart innocents away from the danger. He gave up his own life so other mortals could keep theirs."

Odin gazed at him, searching for the lie that wasn't present, something uncoiled in his features then. Loki fidgeted and looked away from the scrutiny, staring instead at his top of the line StarkPhone, without any signal of course.

"I have heard of your extensive involvement in Tony Stark's affairs." Odin stood before him, "And what is your reward?"

Loki didn't say anything, idly scrolling through his phone before bringing it up towards his father. On screen showed a fully blue Loki alongside Pepper and Tony during his birthday celebrations that had all three of them uproariously drunk and clutching each other while trying to dance to a song that had come up on the radio.

"This," He said softly, as Odin took the phone and saw the picture Jarvis must have taken, "This is my reward. I wish to return to claim it."

The Allfather said nothing, looking at the picture without a hint of what he was thinking.

"You could stay, my son." He said suddenly, not looking up. Loki felt an eyebrow raise at the non sequitur.

"You can find a spell, I'm sure you could, to merge your younger self to you. And you could stay as King of Asgard until your brother is through with his trials on Earth."

_You are worthy of the throne._

Loki felt his eyes widen and he forgot to breathe for a second or so. Until it sunk in.

"No," He snapped,"Absolutely not. Tony would not make it without me, in that horrible place-"

"You underestimate your mortal."

Loki ground his teeth against the rising panic trying to claw its way out of his skin.

"Nevertheless, I-" He paused, at the warm amusement in the Allfather's eye and forced himself to continue regardless; father and his _games_ ,"I do not wish to be without him, in this or any time line."

-

Touching the stones had his power gushing up in him, and he held back half formed sob of relief. Everything was clearer now that his magic could form around him and interact with his surroundings. He felt like having both eyes open once more.

"The Norn Stones once belonged to the Enchantress Karnilla; they pick and choose whom they like." Odin explained and seemed to fall back into his teaching tone he took frequently while Loki was a child. He swayed slightly in place and Loki felt a pang of panic at the suppressed Odinsleep that threatened to well up in his strong father.

Another wave of magic swept through him and he inhaled deeply in satisfaction. "Thank you father." He said gratefully, although his magic and trickery were looked down in Asgard, they were an integral part of him, being cut off from so much of his magic that was spent presumably getting him into a different time and realm, was emotionally crippling as well as physically.

If he had any less composure he would have collapsed in tears.

Odin walked to the far end, to the swirling blue Casket of Ancient Winters and reverently lifted it up before presenting it to a stunned Loki.

"Father, but-"

"No, Loki." Odin shook his head, "You have more need of it than anyone else, and I cannot think of someone I'd rather entrust this too. You will use this to protect your mortals."

Wordlessly Loki clutched it to his chest, the sensation of hanging over an uncertain abyss was a depressingly real feeling he could recognize.

-

With the Norn stones powering him up he decided to use them in conjunction with the StarkPhone in hopes of calling to reassure Tony he was still alive.

It fell a couple times but eventually he could hear it ringing. Tony answered with a curt.

"Where the hell you been? You're way past curfew young man."

Loki sneered, "I went to catch a movie, and got some coffee."

"You hate coffee."

"Oh that's right that was last Tuesday. I was forced back to Asgard on short notice, fill you in later. Might have something to help you," The Norn Stones should do the trick, if he could steal them from under Odin's eye. "And you? How'd your birthday party go?"

"Uh." That tone could never be good."It was explosive."

"What happened?"

"Well I managed to save your books at least; although we'll probably have to move while everything is cleaned back up. Oh and Rhodey got into a fight with me so our furniture is pretty much done for."

"What-? No. Later, give me the rundown." Loki talked into the Bluetooth. He completely ignored Odin's amused face.

It was tinny but Loki could still make out Tony's voice,"Rhodey gave the suit over to the government, Fury found me in a donut store and injected me with something to temporarily give me some more time. He also relayed a very interesting conversation you two had."

There was a pause and the sound of a video in the background. "I can't believe you threatened to kill everything unless Fury did something."

Loki sniffed imperiously. "Well, it got him to do SOMETHING useful at last didn't it?"

Tony chuckled."I'm building a particle accelerator. Howard had the plans for a completely new element. I'm almost done with it, and then we can test it." There was something reedy and stiff in his voice

Loki floundered, knowing what a delicate subject Tony's dad was to him. He opened his mouth and snapped it shut, pacing restlessly. Odin chuckled.

"Whose that?" Tony asked, curious and desperate, over the sounds of his frantic working and beeping.

"It's Odin." Loki said, resisting the urge to make a face at his father.

Tony must have gotten Jarvis to put it on speaker, because suddenly Tony's voice reverberated throughout the room, "Greetings Allfather Odin! Rest assured your lovely son's virtue was safe in my tender hands!" There was a definite smirk in his voice.

" _Jesus wept Tony, shut your piehole_." Loki barked; a smile threatening to take over his face and he nearly burst into giddy laughter at the thought of Tony making a completely new element. Of course. Nothing else but the impossible for Tony Stark.

"Making Supernatural references now eh? Isn't that a bit ironic coming from a god?"

Loki settled down, hating that he had to wait here until Odin released him. "Stay safe, because I know you're going to get your fool self killed going to that Expo."

"And you, don't forget where we live now that you're in your fancy god city. I've still got all your books hostage."

Loki smiled widely, uncaring of his current audience, and sighed softly," You do; and that leaves me no choice but to return to my library, right?"

"...yeah."

They hung up and Loki turned to find Odin standing by him, his powers are nearly to their original levels and seem to have grown a bit more.

"Thor and his friends are becoming embroiled in more than they can handle in Jotunheim now father, see to them and let me go back _home_." He pleaded quietly.

Odin seemed like he wished to say something, maybe even point out his self proclaimed home, but he kept his silence and merely rested a heavy hand on Loki's shoulder.

"I owe Midgard, for both you and your brother have grown into fine warriors while there." Loki bowed his head, hiding a small smile.

"Go to him then, my son. And be sure to bring him back here for your wedding vows, your mother would be quite upset if you missed them."

Loki almost dropped the Casket, sputtering incoherently and greatly out of character. A flush rose on his pale cheeks and he cleared his throat. Twisting a thick and strong illusion of another Casket, he strode out of the weapon's vault to Heimdall.

-

There was a great storm brewing above them, and Tony only had time to barely glance at the impressive lightning strikes and thundering clouds before the Hammeroids surrounded them.

Rhodey got into position besides him and tensed before what seemed to be green lighting shot down from the sky and completely demolished the one in front of Tony.

Besides him landed a familiar leather clad armored God.

"You missed my birthday party."

Loki turned to him and War Machine, smirking and twitching his hand so a flickering emerald shield was up between them and the firing machines.

"I've brought you a present." He takes out the Casket of Ancient Winters and grips it tightly, skin rapidly turning blue and eyes flashing red.

There was a heavy pause before everything from their immediate vicinity was frozen over completely. Tony lifted his faceplate and unashamedly gawked at the sheer amount of magic that Loki now threw without pause. Loki preened at the attention, _here_ was Tony's first glimpse into the Asgard God of Lies at full power.

Striding over he pulled Tony up and into a shameless kiss, the new element coming through; clean and crisp and oddly tasting of coconut. Pulling back, he smugly stared at the widened pupils of his mortal. He didn't prepare for the tackle but he held up the armor without a strain while Tony devoured his mouth in return.

A huff of laughter passed through them, until they had to stop kissing for both of them to laugh breathlessly and with a tinge of hysteria. "I thought you wouldn't come back." Tony murmured quietly into his lips.

"I was _kidnapped_. Of course I'd return home."

-

After that it was a bit confusing as everyone tried to get on the same page,

 _"Wait. So you two_ weren't _fucking yet?"_

Loki managed to slug Rhodey,

_"You dare steal his things on his glorious day of birth?"_

He'd pulled his punch because Rhodey was only disoriented and tangled in a tree.

The banter was broken when Romanoff announced the incoming suit, of a higher level than the others. Tony asked Loki to check on Pepper, because knowing her, she'd refuse to leave the rubble until everything was done. It had only been a couple of days, but distance they'd both had made something in Loki wish to collect all his humans to him and keep them within easy reach.

He ended up in the air, just as the last enemy had touched down, and he formed an ice knife in his palm before sending it down to give them a chance for their opening. He could do that much at least.

-

Finding Pepper was simple, and he just followed her bright hair until he touched down besides her. She startled but immediately pulled him in by his lapels to snarl in his face.

"Tony was _dying_. _Why_ am I hearing about this now. Where were _you_."

It was impressive how she made inquiries sound anything but. He had missed her as well, and now she knew their secret, now Tony wasn't dying and he picked her up and spun her, laughing at her squeal.

Hiding his face in her neck like an errant child he told her, "I was kidnapped while I went to Fury's office to try to further my search for a cure."

She tightened her grip on his shoulders briefly before demanding to be set down and taking out her phone, "Will I need to be worrying about Norse Gods storming to find you? I mean, I need to schedule it after I finish destroying Fury."

Loki smiled widely and was about to reply when the wreckage of mangled robots near them began blinking rapidly. Tony's panicked voice emanated from the StarkPhone. Snapping the Casket out of thin air he had only time to spy Iron Man's armor glinting in the sky before the icy shield closed shut.

-

More wonderfully lazy days in bed where the both of them manage to cajole Pepper into joining them as they finish the rest of the Doctor Who marathon they'd forgotten in lieu of everything else.

Loki snorts and relays his own time travel adventures. Pepper literally grabs Tony by the ear and yanks him back down to stop him from running to his labs to begin to run tests and diagnostics.

He doesn't tell Tony everything, simply relays the events in order of what happened. Later, much later on they'll get completely drunk and then the wrongness and jealousy and hurt and love that everything caused will be hashed out and analyzed by them until they make sense or they pass out.

According to the talk shows that Loki sometimes skims, that's very bad for someone's mental health.

Then again, so is being held hostage by terrorists for months in Afghanistan. Loki might as well go all the way.

He accompanied Tony to meet Fury, invisible and several spells and wards up and ready in case of any more surprises from the Director. He admired him, grudgingly, almost as much as he wanted to strangle the man.

He snorted at Agent Romanoff's assessment along with the added footnote of: "Apparently they WEREN'T sleeping together." Fury had the most incredulous and shocked face that he could make, it wasn't much but it was enough to have Tony crack a shit eating grin.

They left with Tony's new job as consultant, it was preposterous, the way people seemed to think that Iron Man and Tony Stark were two very different beings.

He'd seen him- wearing a tuxedo, or a suit made from boxes of scraps in a cave, or a sleek polished red and gold thing made in his basement workshop.

No matter what he wore, Tony Stark was Iron Man, it was in his bones, in his determination, in his refusal to bow down to mortal perception of what was possible. The only difference was that Iron Man could take hits with less bruises to show for it.

It did not matter to Loki, the less he had to share Tony with the world, the better off he was. Although Agent Phil Coulson and Agent Romanoff dropped by in frequency, so he made small exceptions with them. It was fascinating talking about the different ways Natasha could break someone's spine with her ankles. They were similar in build and while Tony preferred boxing and Loki seemed to fall back on his magic more and more now that he had unlimited access to it once again, they still scheduled sparring sessions with the woman.

Phil usually chatted lightly and talked business with Pepper, causing Tony to squint at the man suspiciously from time to time. Loki refuses to acknowledge he does the same.

With the paths out of Midgard unblocked now, Loki has free reign over whether he comes and goes. He doesn't leave for more than a day, still. The one exception was when he took Tony to see his daughter.

Tony kissed her both her cheeks and called her darling the whole time, Loki had to keep a strong grip on Tony as they left or she'd sneak him back. They stopped by a tropical island and Loki talked about his other children, and why they were less accessible to him than Hel.

Tony offered to sic Pepper on poor unsuspecting Asgard, but Loki saved that for a rainy day.

Two days after Tony -and by unstated agreement Loki as well- became SHIELD's consultant, Loki felt the Bifrost activate over New Mexico. He wrapped himself up in illusions and took Tony to finally see the brother that had caused much resentment and love. They do not interfere, save for shielding some unfortunate mortals caught in the fight with the Destroyer, nothing overt as Loki doesn't wish to catch the attention of his younger self.

They see the brash, confident and unattached God of Thunder break into something with compassion and deep rooted strength, to stand knowing and without hesitation against certain death with nothing but his courage and love, all so the humans in this strange and wonderful realm can remain.

In a way, Loki envies his brother this; his own breaking involved dark caves and hearts of blue light and everything that was his ripped and cauterized and smoothed down with clumsy human hands. And yet, it gained him Tony, so he does not linger on it much.

He does linger on his supposed death, knowing Odin, Thor will probably never find out from him that Loki still lives. He makes a note to interrupt his brother's grieving. The news of his death was greatly exaggerated.

They've moved to New York, Loki's books literally taking up a whole room on a floor directly above Tony's workshop. He wards the space, heavily, because he's not that deluded as to the eventual fate of Tony's projects. His latest project is to have the tower running with completely clean energy. For some reason it has caused 12 fires, two explosions and a strange reaction that caused the whole of Tony's hair to become glowing and blue.

Tony had laughed and quipped that at least it wasn't some sort of sex pollen. Like that even made a difference, when they weren't wrapped up in technology or books or dealing with the world and SHIELD, they were up against every available surface, and sometimes without surfaces, through magic or repulsor tech.

Pepper doesn't video call them anymore. Rhodey has never forgiven them for what they did while Tony was in the middle of upgrading his suit.

There are scars, invisible and thick. Both of them seem to take up the challenge of who can get Pepper to finally snap and just murder them first. There seems to be an uprising of crime. Loki will jealously eviscerate an innocent human if Tony complains about that Reed fellow _again_.

But, this is his prize. He savors it and holds fast with bony grasping fingers, because he's already felt it slipping. Tony makes him forget his grip and he looses days where he goes about his life with a calm happy glee he's never had out of adolescence.

"Hey look," Tony grunts besides him on the couch, he'd been going through SHIELD's surveillance videos somehow getting an in to their systems. On screen, paused and slightly grainy, was a glowing cube and Thor's scientist friend. Loki grows wary, and Tony feels the change in mood immediately.

"What the ever loving FUCK." Loki frowns, ignoring Tony grin at his increasingly foul vocabulary. "That's my father's magic cube."

Tony stops grinning.

_"What."_


End file.
